


Falling into a Kiss

by ArielSakura



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coffee Shops, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, France (Country), M/M, Magical Kiss, Meet-Cute, Monet's Garden, Sightseeing, Vacation, impromptu dates, magical gardens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26120389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielSakura/pseuds/ArielSakura
Summary: On holiday in France, Harry has a chance run-in with an old school acquaintance. Getting a coffee soon devolves into a conversation, and then a date, and perhaps...
Relationships: Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini
Comments: 21
Kudos: 316
Collections: Magical Vacation Manip/Writing Fest





	Falling into a Kiss

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KoraKwidditch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoraKwidditch/gifts).



> This fic was in response to the Magical Vacation Manip/Writing Fest run by Hermione's Nook. Where several wonderful artists submitted amazing manips and then writers called dibs to write a story for them. It was a given that I would do this ABSOLUTELY WONDERFULLY INSPIRING manip by KoraKwidditch. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this little ficlet that came out of it.

Harry was sitting in a magical café in Toulouse, France, along the banks of the river Garrone, sipping coffee and reading a novel when a shadow fell over his table. 

“France, Potter? Seems a little too opulent for you.”

Harry looked up to see none other than Blaise Zabini standing there, towering over him. He had grown into himself some since Hogwarts. He had always been tall in school, but now he had the shoulders to match his height. Zabini looked good, his cashmere sweater and coat fitted him well, highlighting his best features; though he still wore that same expressionless face that implied he was bored by the world.

Harry leant back in his chair, resting one arm on the table and the other on the back of his chair.

“Cashmere, Zabini? Seems a little too muggle for you.”

Zabini blinked rapidly, and Harry smirked openly, pleased that he had managed to catch him off guard. 

Seemingly collecting himself, Zabini raised an eyebrow at the seat opposite Harry. Gesturing wordlessly, Harry invited him to join. He seated himself elegantly, and his gaze dragged over Harry as he crossed one leg over the other. Harry wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but it did draw the eye to the long, well-formed lines of Zabini’s body.

“Muggles have quite a way with a number of things,” Zabini replied as a waiter placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, “for example, a latte, one of the many pleasures in this world, and not a single wizarding café I’ve patronised can make it properly.” 

He took a sip and set the cup down in front of him while Harry placed a bookmark on his page and closed his book. 

“Coffee is a craft unto itself,” he said, “and coffee art is quite incredible.”

Zabini hummed in agreement, “They work so hard for something so transient, it’s quite admirable.” He replied, nodding at the butterfly his barista had managed to create, only slightly skewed from his sip. 

They sat in silence for a few moments, in which time Harry flagged the waiter and asked him for a refill. Eventually, Zabini spoke.

“So, what brings you to France, Potter? I wouldn’t have expected this as a holiday destination for you?”

“Perhaps  _ that’s  _ why I’m here,” Harry said quickly. He sighed at Zabini’s raised eyebrow. “I’m on vacation. Wanted to get away from Britain for a while, the constant press. Hermione mentioned she had visited here a few times with her parents, and I thought it would be nice. I wanted to be within apparation distance incase Andromeda- well... if Teddy needed me.”

“Apparation distance? Potter, we’re over a thousand kilometres away from London. Let alone wherever it is your godson resides.”

Harry shrugged and smirked around his fresh cup of coffee. “Well, just because you clearly can’t, doesn’t mean I’m incapable.”

Zabini looked him over slowly. “You know, it seems impossible - considering all the things you’ve done - but it is entirely too easy to forget just how powerful you really are.”

Harry waved his comment aside. “I’m really not-”

“And yet you can apparate to England from here, face it, Potter. Not even Voldemort was that powerful.”

Harry was about to retort but he froze instead, cocking his head at Zabini. “You said his name.”

“I once heard that fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself.”

“Dumbledore?”

Zabini shook his head. “No. You. I overheard you once, comforting some first years who had gotten detention with Umbridge. They were out past curfew and I went looking for them. Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across Harry Potter sitting with two little snakes, healing the wounds they had received from an unjust teacher.”

Harry stared back at him impassively. “It’s a crime to be a decent human being?”

Zabini shook his head and took another sip of his coffee. “No. No, of course not. But until then, I had always assumed you hated Slytherins, your feud with Malfoy certainly seemed proof enough.”

Harry snorted. “Draco was a prat and a bully from the very first time I met him. Of course, I disliked him then.”

“You don’t now?”

Harry lifted a shoulder nonchalantly. “We’ve reached a tolerance for one another. An understanding. I live with Andromeda - Narcissa’s sister - and they’re trying to reconnect. It wouldn’t do them any good if Draco and I were always at each other’s throats. Aside from that, he’s not as prattish as he used to be. Neville’s been good for him.”

Zabini snorted, and Merlin, he even did that attractively, Harry thought. Shifting in his seat minutely. 

“I never saw that one coming. Could not have predicted it in a million years.”

Harry laughed along with him. “I don’t think even they did. It was a surprise for everyone involved.” 

“Too right. Is it just me or did everyone around us pair off in ways we never would’ve seen?”

Harry chuckled. “Do you mean Hermione and Theo? Or Ron and Pansy?”

“I was thinking Millicent and Luna myself, but yes. Merlin, I assume you know Pansy is expecting?”

Harry nodded. “Hermione too. She told me yesterday.”

“Sweet Salazar, there’ll be little tots underfoot in every direction soon. Even Greg and Astoria are looking into adoption.”

“Adoption? Goyle and mini Greengrass?”

Zabini nodded. “Astoria has a blood condition, she’s unable to carry a child without severely compromising her health. It caused a huge fuss with Greg’s mum. She said Astoria should be proud to bear a Goyle and fuck the consequences.” 

Ending his little tale with a roll of his eyes, Zabini clearly showed what he thought of that argument. Meanwhile, Harry shivered at the swear word that had fallen from Zabini’s lips. There was just something erotic about hearing someone so elegant and with such a posh mouth say,  _ fuck. _

“Anyway, Greg proclaimed his love for Astoria and ended up turning over evidence to the Aurors that saw his mum landing in the cell across from his father when she tried to curse them.”

“Shit, I remember hearing about that - she was trafficking mermaids for potions ingredients, wasn’t she?”

Zabini grimaced. “Yep. Greg had found out a week or so before she tried cursing Astoria with a fertility-lust spell - he had been trying to decide if he should hand over the evidence, but the attack was the last straw.” 

“Godric’s golden boxers,” Harry said, shocked by the news, “that’s  _ awful _ . She did that to Astoria? Knowing it could end up killing her?”

Zabini’s lips turned down, and he nodded. “Let's move onto happier topics. I believe Finnegan and Thomas are finally tying the knot next month?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, that was out of the blue. I got the invitation and thought it was some sort of prank at first.”

“Why?” Zabini asked, completely bewildered. “They’ve been together for years, haven’t they?”

Harry felt the blood rising on his face and he coughed. “Yeah, erm, apparently so.”

“You didn’t know?” 

Harry shrugged, trying to play it off.

“How did you not know? I think half the school has caught them shagging in the broom closet or behind the Quidditch stands or down an alley in Hogsmeade at one point. Surely as their dormmate, you saw more than most?”

“I was a bit preoccupied through school if you’ll remember, thanks, Zabini.”

Zabini snorted and shook his head. 

“Call me Blaise. After all, we’re sitting here all friendly-like, aren’t we?” 

Harry looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, wondering if there could be maybe something more than friendly. There was a look in Blaise’s eye that seemed to suggest so. “Harry then,” he replied. “So what are you doing in France? Are you vacationing too?”

Inclining his head, Blaise’s voice changed into something more inquisitive. “I was actually on my way to Giverny. It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to tour Claude Monet’s gardens. Especially the magical division.” 

“I’ve seen that on a few brochures around the place, it’s supposed to be pretty amazing.”

“Would you like to join me?” Blaise asked, meeting Harry’s eyes, something suddenly very intense about the way he looked at Harry. 

At the look, Harry felt something lurch inside of him, his stomach a flutter. Swallowing thickly around the sudden dryness in his mouth, Harry spoke again. “That depends, why are you asking me to accompany you?”

Blaise leant forward and smirked, slow enough that Harry felt his nerves begin to alight with anticipation. 

“I was intending for a romantic outing. If you’re amenable.”

Suddenly aware that he too had been leaning forward, Harry could feel the scant air between them become electrified as he replied. 

“I think I could be.”

Blaise’s smirk turned into a broad grin and he reached out to take Harry’s hand across the table. “Shall we then?”

Harry stood up, pulling Blaise to his feet. He dropped a few Euros on the table and said, “Lead the way.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The gardens had been beautiful and they had spent hours walking there together, investigating all they had to offer. The bridges over the water, the sheer number of flowers and trees. It had all been incredible. But the most memorable thing had been that not once had Blaise let his hand go as they wandered around, and their conversation over the day had been scintillating, exhilarating, and at times bordering on arousing.

They were nearing a carved timber bench, intending to sit for a while when Harry slipped on a patch of moss. Expecting to go sprawling onto the ground, flat on his face, he was surprised when he was spun instead and ended up caught in Blaise’s arms, his back parallel to the ground as he stared up into Blaise’s eyes. 

“Er, thanks. Sorry about that,” Harry said quietly. 

Blaise didn’t say anything as he continued to hold Harry, pulling him up just a tad. Only enough to bring their faces closer together. 

“I’d really like to kiss you,” he murmured, “do you think that would be okay?”

Harry barely managed to get out an affirmative answer before Blaise’s lips were pressed against his own. 

He let out a soft groan and Blaise took advantage of the slight parting of his lips to swipe his tongue against Harry’s. Encouraging him to kiss back with everything he had. 

As they pulled away and the blooms lit up around them, Harry felt it right down to his bones. This was the beginning of something wonderful. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!! Feel free to leave a comment, I'm terrible for getting back to them, but I LOVE hearing what you all think!
> 
> Love and muses!!  
> ArielSakura  
> xo


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